Introduction The Growth Agenda New Mission Advancement Building the Campus Institutional News Sustainability,         Environmental Awareness Weidner Center Phuture Phoenix Diversity International Education Outreach, Community Service Lectures, Cultural Enrichment Intercollegiate Athletics Faculty/Staff Students Transition		Annual Report to the campus, community, and UW System | December 2007 The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Bruce Shepard, Chancellor The Growth Agenda: Timeline for Success AUGUST 2006 Regents include Growth Agenda funding in UW System budget The UW System Board of Regents voted for full inclusion of the Northeastern Wisconsin Growth Agenda in approving the UW System’s 2007-09 budget proposal. Campus and community leaders expressed gratitude for the additional $414,900 in 2007-08 and $1.3 million in 2008-09 to support UW-Green Bay’s growth. “The Regents clearly understand our region’s need for a larger UW-Green Bay,” Shepard said after the vote. SEPTEMBER Keeping momentum rolling University leadership encouraged friends and supporters to make higher education a continuing topic of discussion as the November 2006 statewide elections loomed. Many of the same advocates who rallied behind UW-Green Bay in connection with April’s campus visit by the UW System administration and Board of Regents volunteered to keep the Northeastern Wisconsin Growth Agenda at the forefront with elected officials and candidates for office. NOVEMBER Chancellor touts Idea before statewide business group UW-Green Bay Chancellor Bruce Shepard took advantage of an appearance before Wisconsin business leaders to discuss how UW-Green Bay and other UW System campuses are living the Wisconsin Idea every day by serving people of the state in meaningful, relevant ways. Shepard spoke to the Wisconsin Higher Education Business Roundtable, an independent organization dedicated to promoting the UW System. JANUARY 2007 Good news in Governor’s proposal UW-Green Bay received positive news when newly re-elected Gov. Jim Doyle signaled his intention to propose a 2007-09 state budget with additional resources for UW System growth, including partial funding to begin increasing enrollment at Green Bay. Commented Shepard, “I cannot say enough about our community and private sector partners who have been such strong advocates and supporters of the Growth Agenda.” FEBRUARY A visit in support Gov. Jim Doyle officially unveiled his proposal and visited UW-Green Bay to emphasize his support for the idea of boosting the institution’s ability to meet the demands and needs of a rapidly growing and changing region. He praised UW-Green Bay and the community for fine work on the Growth Agenda, and for providing inspiration — via the Phuture Phoenix initiative — for his Wisconsin Covenant proposal. APRIL Proponents testify before budget committee A number of UW-Green Bay voices were heard when the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee held a budget hearing in Ashwaubenon. Ginny Riopelle, vice chair of the University’s Council of Trustees, expressed strong community sentiment in favor of the Growth Agenda. JUNE Joint Finance Committee endorses plan... The Legislature’s Joint Committee on Finance approved $149 million in new state funding for the UW System, a sum sufficient to allow System campuses to move forward with a number of crucial initiatives including enrollment growth. JULY …but Assembly throws up roadblock The Wisconsin Assembly passed its own version of the biennial budget, a version that raised concerns across the UW System. In Green Bay, Chancellor Shepard called the Assembly action “deeply troubling and disappointing.” He said the University would be hard-pressed to grow its enrollment, despite the inclusion in the budget of about $1.1 million for the Growth Agenda, because UW-Green Bay’s share of across-the-board cuts to the UW System budget would total $2.4 million to $2.8 million over the two-year budget period. Leaders rally coalition in support Chancellor Shepard pledged University and community leaders would work diligently to help build a coalition of forward-thinking legislators — of both political parties — and with Gov. Doyle to pass a final budget that responds to the pressing needs of UW-Green Bay students, the region and state. In late July, the chancellor and governor addressed a large crowd at UW-Green Bay and called for state Legislators to recognize the UW System’s importance to the state’s future. Trustees tell Chancellor: Budget battle is biggest for UW-Green Bay Local news reports said that, not since the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay was formed, has a budget appropriation been as important to the campus as the one for 2007-09. That’s how some UW-Green Bay board trustees characterized the situation in the wake of the state Assembly’s move to negate the governor’s funding of the Growth Agenda. UPDATE Success, and full funding of Growth Agenda’s phase one On Oct. 26, 2007, Gov. Jim Doyle signed the 2005-07 budget to break a months-long stalemate. Described as among the most acrimonious budget seasons in Wisconsin history, it was also one of the longest and most overdue. The final product, however, won applause from the UW System, UW-Green Bay and Northeastern Wisconsin supporters of the University for providing additional resources Systemwide and full funding for the first phase of the Growth Agenda at UW-Green Bay.   top of page    |     continued . . .
Office of the Chancellor, David A. Cofrin Library, Suite 810 University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, 2420 Nicolet Drive, Green Bay, WI  54311-7001 920-465-2207 | E-mail: Chancellor's Web Manager Rev. February 7, 2008